Institute for Global Opportunities

IGo Ministry trips: Did they change my life? More than I can ever say in a brief paragraph! For me, it was getting out of my safe little comfort zone and gaining a new perspective of what life on earth is really about. It was experiencing the joy and passion that was so alive among many of the Asian Christians and so absent in many North-American Anabaptists. It was going into places where the gospel hadn’t ever been taught. It was being with people that had absolutely nothing, yet showed unlimited hospitability to us.

“Some things never change.” Perhaps you have heard that said of someone or something that continues on, unaltered by time. I have often heard it used in a complaining tone in relation to a person whose lifestyle stubbornly remains unchanged regardless of the consequences to others. We all have those kinds of people in our lives.

What a blessing it has been to become acquainted with our second semester students who are now one week into their IGo experience. Four of our first semester students remained to be joined by seventeen newly arrived trainees. In addition, we have five second year students who are either already involved in mission work or anticipate it after the term is finished. There is a keen level of anticipation and hunger for what God is going to do.

Our recent trip to Thailand has been exciting, humbling, stretching and life changing. Our group spent several days in Chiang Mai where we observed multitudes enslaved in spiritual darkness of Buddhism. Perhaps the highlight of my time in Thailand was traveling a few days with a brother named Wright Dee. He lives in Chiang Mai and is from the tribal group called the Karen. Most Karen live in the mountains of Thailand and Burma (Myanmar) and were evangelized years ago by Adoniram Judson. Wright Dee has a deep burden for his people and longs to see them live for Christ.